Rogue Valley Mall shortens hours, businesses begin cut backs

MEDFORD, Ore.– The Rogue Valley Mall is shortening hours in light of new recommendations by public health officials.

The mall says it has seen a decrease in traffic since coronavirus became more talked about nationally. Starting Tuesday, the mall will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 7 .p.m. Seating in the food court is closed off but food services can stay open for to-go orders.

So far, the 100 or so businesses within the mall are beginning to take steps as a result of the decrease in foot traffic. As part of a company-wide policy, Macy’s has decided to close all of its locations temporarily. Every business within the mall may change their own schedules, according to mall officials, or decide to close temporarily like Macy’s at their own discretion.

Besides changing hours, some businesses are cutting back and letting employees go. The owners of Fast-Fix Jewelry Repair said they’ve laid off their two employees and changed their hours. Don Tamplin says he chose to do that after an employment agency said they do have temporary unemployment for 30 days.

He hopes this will help his employees land on their feet until everything blows over.

“Hopefully that works great and we have our employees back,” said Tamplin. “That way they don’t have to worry about their rent, food or anything.”

Tamplin says he and his wife will be running the store six days a week from here on out. He says they started to notice a significant dip in foot traffic about five days ago. To Tamplin, it’s reminiscent of the time right after 9-11.

“I don’t know what else to say, it’s kind of a crazy, crazy time,” he said.

Tamplin is happy to hear the mall is working with all of the businesses to try and keep things running. Along with the mall sanitizing everything it can, each business is also doing its part to keep things clean.

But in terms of economics and how each business might function as things continue to slow down, Tamplin isn’t sure what will happen.

“Hopefully we made the right decisions and we’ll be able to work through it to not have to be closed,” said Tamplin. “I imagine that there are going to be some businesses that are going to go bankrupt.”